Saturday, August 31, 2013

Haul - Sea Breeze Scents & Things (Order #2)

This is my second order from Sea Breeze Scents & Things and I still don't know what it is about this vendor but it seems to have become my new favorite. I was a little disappointed when one of the first scents I melted from my first order seemed to be really light, but since having a string of bad luck with another vendor's tarts, I've decided to try an electric warmer, or at the very least just have two of my tea light warmers going in different rooms. And since Sea Breeze sells cute little 2-packs anyway, I decided to go ahead and place another order.

Shipping was extremely fast! I ordered on Tuesday morning and had my package on Saturday of the same week. Now that is the kind of turn-around-time I like. Shipping costs are fair too. I do believe she charges actual shipping, refunding any overages the website might calculate. And she includes freebies. I got two in this order. (Thank you, Elaine!!)

I ordered all fall scents this time. The scent list at Sea Breeze is not nearly as long as some vendors, but there is enough of a selection to find plenty of things you'll like without it being overwhelming, and it's always growing. Just days after I placed this order, she added two new fall scents . . . including one I'd been asking about. Well, darn, guess I'll have to place another order, huh? LOL

Candy Corn - (There is no description available for this one. If I remember right, it might have been discontinued.) I've seen Candy Corn scents from different vendors with different scent descriptions. Some are basically vanilla, some have hints of maple, some even have hints of orange. Usually Candy Corn scent is quite light too. This one smells pretty darn strong on cold sniff. It's very vanilla-y and this might be one of those that claims a hint of orange.

Apple Cinnamon - 'A Sea Breeze custom blend of apple & cinnamon sticks.' This is nice. The cinnamon is a bit stronger than the apple, but the apple is definitely there. The cinnamon is a sweet candy-like version, not a sharp spicy one.

Cranberry Peach Cider - 'Warm bubbling cider, fresh cranberries, and peach.' I'm not a big cider scent fan, not a big peach scent fan either, but this was the only cranberry scent she had at the time I ordered and I *need* a cranberry scent for fall. (She's since added a plain cranberry scent.) As feared, the cider and peach notes come through strongest on this. Maybe the cranberry will show up once it's warmed.

Country Bumpkin - 'Cinnamon, pumpkin, raisin, and undertones of nutmeg and ginger.' Country Bumpkin is one of my absolute favorite fall scents from years ago, but this scent description isn't the same as what I'm used to. Maybe it's not a complete list of notes. I'd have to go back and check. Sniffing this, it smells more foodie than the version I used to love, but this is still darn yummy.

Apple Butter - 'Apple, buttercream, and a bit of cinnamon & spice.' Gotta have apple scents in the fall, so I thought this would be an interesting choice. It's apple-y, but warm, like an apple pie. Yummy!

Tis The Season - 'Eggnog & pumpkin pie.' I had ordered Pumpkin Pie Spice but Elaine quickly emailed me and told me she was currently out of that one, and asked what I would like to replace it. I told her to surprise me with a Christmas scent and this is what she picked. And this is why I'm liking this vendor more and more, because not only is it Christmas-y, but it has pumpkin! Which keeps with the fall theme of my order. That is awesome. As for the scent, it's a bit heavier on the eggnog, but the spiced pumpkin is there too. This will be a fun one.

Pumpkin Cheesecake - 'Creamy pumpkin, vanilla, and a hint of spice with just a tiny bit of graham cracker.' When I first sniffed this I thought it had that sort of sour note that comes with cheesecake, but repeated sniffs don't seem to pick that up any more. It's more like a good, pumpkin spice scent.

Fall Festival - 'A Sea Breeze customer blend! Mixture of pumpkin, maple, and some secrets!' This is a good one! It's a deep, rich scent, strong on the maple but not sickly sweet like pancake syrup. I really wonder what the 'secrets' are because it's almost like caramel or butterscotch. This one is right up my alley!

Pumpkin Patch - 'Pumpkin pie, clove, vanilla, & ginger.' I just had to get some her pumpkin shaped tarts. (The daisy shapes are cheaper.) It has a bit of a weird note to it right now but I'll let it sit and air out away from the others, and see if its true scent comes through. What I can tell right now is that it's like a typical pumpkin pie scent.

Monkey Burps - 'The other half of a popular scent. Hello tropics!' I know this is a very popular scent but I don't know exactly what's in it. I'm assuming banana, but beyond that, I don't know. On cold sniff it's actually a very strong coconut scent, maybe some banana in the background. This was one of my freebies.

Strawberry Cheesecake - 'Fresh strawberries and creamy cheesecake with vanilla.' Remember in my first order I got that absolutely adorable turtle? Well this time I got a freebie frog! How cute is that?! And it smells sooooo good. It's like a candy-type strawberry, or like strawberry milk. There is some creaminess, some vanilla, but it's a very sweet scent.

I can't wait to start melting these! I'm really tempted to place another order because of the new scents she just added, and because she's having a Labor Day sale this weekend . . . either free shipping on orders over $25, or Buy 5 Get 2 Free. Be sure to 'Like' her Facebook page (HERE) for info on coupon codes and upcoming sales. I don't know if I should go ahead and order my winter/holiday scents with this sale, or wait a while and see what her Black Friday sale will be. Decisions, decisions!!!

Our weather went back to hot this past week, enough that we had to turn the AC on for a couple days. It's cooling off now, upper 70s/low80s, and feeling very much like fall is coming.

I am a seasonal melter but I go by the calendar, not the weather. Tomorrow is September so I'll allow myself to start with apple scents and things that aren't quite pumpkin or cranberry. Mid-October thru Thanksgiving I'll indulge in all things pumpkin, cranberry, warm and cozy full on fall.